


"With Her Real Family"

by Dreamelilly018



Series: Mama Eda and Mother Lilith [5]
Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Adopted, Adopted Children, Adoption, Adoptive Family Relationship - Freeform, Adoptive Mother, Adoptive family, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aunt Lilith Clawthorne, Aunt-Niece Relationship, Auntie Lilith, Demon Realm (The Owl House), Eda Clawthorne is Luz Noceda's Parent, Families of Choice, Family, Family Feels, Found Family, Gen, Good Parent Eda Clawthorne, Good Parent Lilith Clawthorne, Luz Noceda Needs a Hug, Mama Eda, Mother Lilith, Mother Lilith CLawthorne, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, Parent Eda Clawthorne, Parent Lilith Clawthorne, Post-Episode: s01e18 Agony of a Witch, Post-Episode: s01e19 Young Blood Old Souls, Protective Eda Clawthorne, Protective Lilith Clawthorne, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, The Boiling Isles (The Owl House), The Human Realm (The Owl House), blood doesn't make family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29824395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamelilly018/pseuds/Dreamelilly018
Summary: After five months of being trapped in the Demon Realm with no way home and missing her Mami, Luz is overjoyed when she is able to return to the Human Realm. But after so many adventures with her friends and being with people who love her, she is unprepared to find her grandfather, a man who mother refused to let her meet, to have full custody of her, frightening. Even worse, unlike the Boiling Isles, there is no one to have her back and leaves her to be treated like a prisoner. With her once bright and optimistic self fading away from her sudden shift in home life and parental love, Luz is reeling as her life takes a drastic turn.Unknown to her, her former parental figures, is also beginning to worry when Owlbert returns one too many times with no news about the child who came under their care. Doing their best, with their limited resources in the Human Realm, to find where their dear Luz has disappeared to. It is mostly by pure luck and the watchful eyes of the older Blight Twins that they find the child after many hours of searching. But after seeing her downtrodden and mute, they can’t bring themselves to leave her behind, not even when she is certain that she doesn’t deserve to have her found family again.
Relationships: Camila Noceda & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & King & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Lilith Clawthorne, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda, King & Luz Noceda, Lilith Clawthorne & Luz Noceda
Series: Mama Eda and Mother Lilith [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190306
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	1. Quote

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. So this is one of my more darker fanfics to be written and posted on here. While The Owl House has a viewership of a broad range, this would be more for the older audience as it will cover mature topics. But if that doesn’t deter you, I recommend you keep reading this chapter.

"Family don't end in blood. It doesn't start there either. Family cares about you, they got your back, no matter what."

-Dean, Supernatural 


	2. Chapter One

Luz Noceda knew that Eda and Lilith were worried when they opened the portal. The last attempt, several weeks prior, had ended poorly. King and her were still finding random pieces of metal around the else and the ten-year-old still had bandages to change daily from the impact of the explosion. SO, while it appeared to be hopeless, she could already picture her running and throwing her arms around her Mami.

There would be tears and then lectures. Mami had must been scared sickly with her disappearing for five months with little to know contact. But, once the lecture was done, she knew that there would be late nights of watching anime together and ordering Chinese in celebration of their reunion.

While the thought of seeing her mother made her jubilant, the while situation of being trapped in the Demon Realm wasn’t as bad as what others had thought. With Eda only being seven years older than her and Lilith her two full time positions as a teacher and Amity’s mentor and Covenness of the Emperor’s Coven, there was many times she was left to her own needs. While there were many times she ate burnt good or took baths in icy water, she had grown up to match the maturity of her friends who were two and four years her seniors. During the days, when her friends made her stay overnight, their parents made sure that “she got to act like a kid for a few hours.” While it felt weird to have someone to coddle her by making her meals and making sure she had warm water to take a bath, she never turned down spending time with her friends. 

Her friends, Willow, Amity, and Gus, always knew how quickly she had grown up in the five months and knew their time was limited, causing them to spend much time as they could together. Two weeks prior, when she felt strong enough to wander away from The Owl House, Amity had convinced her parents to allow her to invite her, Gus, Willow, and Scarra for a short trip down the cost for a few days, giving her a few more memories before leaving the Isles. Being gifted by a rarity of a pollorid camera by Alador Blight, Amity’s Father, she spent many hours taking photos to remind her of the days she spent with her friends. Despite the company she kept and her bright smiles, Luz still felt a pang of homesickness when Odilia Blight, Amity’s mother, took a moment to talk to her affectionately or tell her to have fun before they left. 

Still know, with the possibility leaving the Isles for who knows how long, Luz was going to miss her friends. Knowing Amity, Gus, and Willow only for a short while, she knew they were the true friends she would never receive back in the Human Realm. It would hurt her to leave them behind when she left but with her new experience on being social, she was determined to start over and make her Mami proud. It was this thought that was a mistake. 

With her expecting to go back to living with her mother upon her return, it was the news she received and arrival of a new life that broke her. And it wasn’t until months later, under the tender hands and loving murmurs of Lilith and Eda that she begun to return to her old self. 

***

When she woke up on the promised day, two days before her eleventh birthday, it was early enough that the sun had yet risen. But as she tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, she found herself unable to sleep. Instead she thought her celebrating her birthday with her Mami. Late night pizza and anime binging danced through her mind and a fond smile broadened. It was these thoughts that helped her stay in her sleeping bag until the first rays of dawn begun to reach from underneath the ragged and dusty curtains. Aware of how stiff her body was, she crawled out of her sleeping bag, careful not to disturb King as he slept, still curled up at the end where her feet had been. 

Standing up by her pillow, she stared around the room, hazel-brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears. This room, while cramped and shared with dust bunnies, had been her home for the past five months. The dresser shoved into one of the cleared corners held her scarce clothes and her few school items she kept at home, and a sketchbook that was half filled with ready-made glyphs in case there was a battle but also polloid photos she taped to the pages. Past those items, there was a few books, scavenged from Eda’s childhood books that she had been slowly working through and were close to completing. 

As she moved her gaze around the room, it wasn’t that hard for her to realize just how much things had changed. Back in the Human Realm she had a lot of materialistic possessions but now it was scarce with a few items and many being second hand and close to falling apart. She could no longer picturing herself going out shopping and buying things that she already had. Instead, Luz could see her keeping things of personal value close and out of reach of any dangers. 

Sighing wistfully, Luz turned her gaze over to the dresser in the corner. Stepping over her textbook for Abomination class, she pulled the top drawer. Inside was the few outfits that still fit her growing frame and lengthening height. One item, her blue and white stripped cat hoodie, had still survived, and she was relieve. This had been the last item, her father, Kahkli Noceda, had given to her before he passed away when she had been seven. Changing out of her pajamas and slipping on a pair of jeans and a shirt of Amity’s she had forgotten a few days ago, she slipped her Cat Hoodie on.

Packing her pajamas into the drawer, she put on her shoes, a pair of second hand black shoes, and tied them. As she ran a comb through her tangled hair, Luz realized it was getting long and was now down to her mid back instead of barely passing her ears. Tying her hair into a pony tail, Luz slipped her necklace, a pendant that had the Clawthorne crest molded into her, around her neck. As she cross the living room, the ten-year-old couldn’t help but feel have a bounce in her step as she realized that if everything went right, by this time tomorrow, she would be listening to the long, rambling lectures of her mother at the dinner table. 

For the first time that she could remember, Luz couldn’t actually wait to hear her mother lecturing her and watching her like a Hawk. Being lectured or under a watchful eye wasn’t something that Lilith or Eda was that good at. They were more letting her learn from her own mistakes or intervening and punishing her when they thought it would be too much for her. 

***

“I get to go home! I get to go home!” Bouncing down the stairs and giving into her childish side for the first time in weeks, ten-year-old Luz Noceda chanted excitedly as she stopped in front of her mentor, Eda Clawthorne, and her older sister, Lilith Clawthorne, who both bore a look of amusement. While it was painful for them to see the young girl so excited about leaving their care. It was understandable about wanting to be with her mother when her birthday happened in the next few days. “I have so much o tell Mami about making friends with Amity, Gus, Willow, Emira, and Edric, and then going on adventures with you two and King. I don’ even know where to start once I can tell her.”

“Kiddo, if you don’t calm down,’ her mentor and her younger paternal figure, Eda Clawthorne, began from where she sat next to the roaring woodstove with her morning cup of Apple Blood in her arms. “You are going to tire yourself ou before you even get back to the Human Realm. I don’t think your mother would be that happy to see you when you are exhausted.”

Putting on a playful pout and plopping down onto the bench next to Lilith, the soon to be eleven=year-old stared at where their miniscule breakfast, Boiling Isles version of Ramen and sliced Blood Beets and pan fried vamphaen, a blue fish like creature, sat on a big platter. With Lilith now spending the last two weeks helping to rebuild the portal and taking time away from doing her duties as Covenness of the Emperor’s Coven and Eda, struggling more with her business, after residents learned she was raising a human apprentice and turned away from buying from her, their small savings had been used up paying for a new uniform for Luz that she would never wear and prices went on, money was tighter than ever had been before. There were many times where they had only wild edibles to eat for days, when they ate together that is, and Luz no longer age lunch provided by Heide with the prices going up, and her 75k scholarship no longer covered it.

“It will be a few hours still, darling.” Lilith began to serve the meal, pausing to give Luz’s bigger pieces of Vamphaen. Once everyone had a share of the breakfast, silence fell over the house as they ate. “While we are finishing the last few things, how about you spend the time saying good bye to your friend. I have no doubt that your mother will be letting you out of her sight for a few months, Luz.”

Swallowing the dry and burnt piece of Vamphaen, she gave a nod before taking a sip of her water. “I might be able to see Gus for a few minutes but the others are busy today,” she explained through a mouthful of thick, heavy noodles. “I was just expecting to hang around the shack today or help with the chores before attempting for me to return to the Human Realm.”

“Enjoy the time you have left here, Kiddo.” Eda took the seat beside King’s highchair, beginning to finish her Appleblood and eating her meager helping of the breakfast. “How about you pack your things and spend the rest of your time here with King.”

Looking at where the Canine Demon, already finishing his share of food sat in his highchair patiently waiting for the others to finish before returning to where Luz and him had slept together the past five months. “We can reread the last few chapters of your Good Witch Azura books, Luz,” he suggested, small tail hitting his seat. “Or we can slowly pack your bag to make sure you don’t forget anything when the time comes.”

Finishing her last bite and regretfully placing her fork down onto the plate, she pushed it away, shoulders slumping. Even with the few extra bites from the meat, her stomach still pleaded for more than what was offered. “How about we go and pack, King?” she asked, giving a forced smile to Lilith and Eda who gave her an apologetic look. “Once we are done packing, we can read some Good Witch Azura books. How does that sound?”

“That sounds like a good idea!” Slithering out to land on the ground, the canine demon dashed away from the kitchen and in the direction where their shared bedroom was. 

“Go and have fun, Kiddo.” Eda began to gather their dishes and carried them over to the wash bin. Placing them inside, she went to grab the pot of boiling water that she had heated up on the stove. “Lilith or I will come to retrieve you when we think we have everything ready.”

“It should only be two or three hours,” Lilith offered her, pushing the bench out slightly. “It shouldn’t take that long.”

Luz gave a curt nod as she got off the bench. Bounding up the steps to where King was beginning to roll up her sleeping cocoon, she went to where she stored a box of her most important items since coming to live in the Boiling Isles. Pulling the box out, she carried it over to where she kept her bag, books, cloak, and few school items she kept outside of her locker. Settling it on the ground, she looked at King who had clipped the holders into place on her sleeping bag. “That’s basically it,” she said, relaxing down onto the hard wooden floor. “Most of my other things are already packed besides my school things. I’ll pack those later though.”

“What do you have in there?” King curled up on her lap, peering at the box that lay in front of her. 

“I have the important items that I gathered over my stay in the Boiling Iles.” Luz smiled fondly as she opened the flap, staring at the items inside. “While I know that Mami can’t find them, I still want to bring them with so I can remember all the fun times that I have had here with you, Eda, Lilith, and everyone else.”

“Do you have the pictures from the one carnival?” King perked up, ears erect and alert. The ones that you took with all four of us at that one scroll both just before we left?”

It wasn’t hard for her to recall that night longingly. While it had been crazy with them getting shrunken and almost eaten alive by the wild animals of the Boiling Isles, it was also one of her first official outings with Willow and Gus before the entire fiasco with Emperor Belos and having her only way home destroyed. It was that night and many others showed her an example of how true friends are supposed to act. Nothing like her past interactions her “childhood friends” Tiffany and Jackson in the Human Realm. They were her own Boschas but unlike in this realm, she would have no friends or anyone backing her up once she started the seventh eighth grade upon returning. 

“They are in the envelope with the other pictures that I gained during the last five months,” she continued, pulling out a yellowing parchment that was starting to bulge at its seams. Opening it revealed five or six dozens worth of photos taken by her cheap polloid camera that she received before supposedly leaving for Camp Reality Check. While they were grainy and sometimes unfocused, it would the only pictures she had of her friends besides the copies of the school photos from her friend group and the big, school wide one. “They are all important to me. Once everything settles down when I return home, I plan to get a photo album and put the pictures it so it will be easier to keep track of them.”

Once she closed the envelope and glanced down at King, she realized how quiet the canine demon had gotten. “Is something wrong, King?” she asked, gently scratching him between his ears. “You are unnaturally quiet that it is scary. Do you want me to get Lilith or Eda?”

“No! No! I am fine, Luz. I just realized how much I am going to miss you.” The canine Demon stood up, turning to face her, pressing his face into the collar of her tight, blue Kitty Hoodie. “I knew that I was going to miss you, I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“Everything will be okay,” Luz assured him, hugging him tightly. “After a few months and school is out, I can bring up having Lilith and Eda to have summer visitations with me and every other school break too.”

He sighed, ears pressing back against his skull head. “I know,” he said, nuzzling her affectionately. “Just promise you won’t forget me.”

“I won’t,” she promised, turning back to her box to go through it with King.

***

As the time drew near for Lilith and Eda to get Luz to attempt to bring her home, the ten-year-old was gathering up the last few items in her room when she came across Amity’s old Leatherman jacket form when she played Grudgby in the past. Amity gave it to her when the seasons changed from fall to winter after realizing her two guardians could afford to get her a proper coat. After one quick warmth spell and another of protection, her Leatherman jacket was for her to wear.

Holding it close to her, Luz traced her fingers over the bumpy, white thread that spelled out, “Amity Blight, #42” on the back. This was one of the few very personal items that she would have left when returning to the Isles. If she was correct, Mami would take away most of the things in her box to deter her from running away again. “Do you think Amity would object if I took this back to the Human Real with me, King? This jacket and the puzzle charm necklace are the only personal items that I will be able to hide from Mami when she goes through my bag.”

“I don’t see why not,” King voiced from where he lay on her rolled up sleeping bag with his head hanging off its side. “Amity made it very clear that she gave it to you to keep since you didn’t, or we couldn’t afford, a proper winter coat. You will just have something to wear when the season changes in the Human Realm, and something to remember the good times you had.”

Thinking that he was right, Luz carefully folded up the jacket and slid it into her personal bag where she kept her school items and a few other things that she didn’t want anyone going through. Once everything was packed, the ten-year-old zipped it up and stood up. Placing her personal bag on her back and grabbing her sleeping bag, she waited as King clambered up onto her bag, appearing like Pikachu when he was perched on his trainer’s shoulder. “Let’s go and see if Eda and Lilith are ready yet,” the hazel-brown eyed and dark titian haired preteen suggested, approaching the trap door that would lead to the main part of the house. “Or if they need help with any final touches on the way back to the Human Realm?”

King, still perched on her shoulder, gave a nod. “That sounds like a good idea,” he said, voice raspy from his crying fit earlier. “This has been stressing them out since they told you several weeks ago, Luz. Finally, if they are able to succeed, they know that you will finally be happy for you to be a place where you aren’t in constant danger or have to go with very little to no food.”

Luz nodded, thumping down the stairs to where Lilith and Eda were standing in the walkway that led to the front door. “Is everything ready?” she asked, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, looking at them. “Or do you need help with preparing anything else before then?”

"We are already kiddo." Eda turned around and led out to behind the house. Once outside, Luz stopped in front of a makeshift, crudely made metal circle wedged in between two large branches of neighboring trees. "Before you go through, Luz, Lilith or I want to check it out to make sure that it’s safe. At least we will be able to have our magic to defend us if anything goes wrong. It would only be poking our head through to see if its the Human Realm.

"I understand, Eda." Luz said softly in a patient voice that she couldn't muster much longer. 

"Just a few more final finishing touches than the portal should be ready to go," Lilith assured the girl, blue spheres of pulsing light streamed from her fingertips as she focused on the ten bolts around the metal circle. "While it may work this time, sweetheart, we don't know if it will work a second time if you want to return," the pale skinned woman explained, her voice cracking as she tried to hide her sorrow, making her assuring appearance not very believable, and almost upsetting to the preteen. 

Holding back the doubtful thoughts and worry of never seeing her adopted family again, Luz approached the red line that was scarred into the ground. Stopping just at the edge of it, she watched as Eda, flying on her staff, hovered over the metal circle. "Luz, take cover," she said, finger starting to light up. "If it blows up or anything, I don't want you to get caught in the cross fire." Her voice shook and fear of the unknown shown through her stiff body. It wasn't until Luz and King had scampered to hide behind a pile of cut timber did she begin giving the potential portal power. 

The air of the clearing seem to grow heavier as a low humming and flickering light emitted from the portal. From behind the pile of timber, Luz watched with bated breathes as her hazel-brown eyes widen, excitement coursing through her body as the portal roared to life. 

"It worked! The portal actually worked!" Luz leaped up from where she was crouched, letting out a joyous laughter. "Am I going home than?"

"Let me check it out before you attempt to cross." Eda disembarked her staff and signed for Lilith to stand in front of the ten-year-old and the canine Demon. "If it’s the Human Realm, I'll return and you can return back to the Human Realm."  
Giving an excited bounce, Luz nodded as she peered around the side of Lilith as Eda hesitantly went over to the portal. Giving a quick nod to Lilith, she disappeared with a crackle of electricity and a burst of blue light. “How long do you think it should be until she returns?” Now grasping tightly onto the sleeve of her pseudo mother’s cloak, she scrapped her shoe nervously on the ground. “It shouldn’t take that long, right, Lilith?”

“Edalyn told me if she is gone longer than fifteen minutes, I should come to retrieve her,” Lilith clarified, rubbing soothing circles on the preteen’s back. “But there is nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Growing up with Eda, she won’t be gone that too long. Just give her a few minutes.”

“Eda will be back soon.” King twitched slightly as he patted her cheek, trying to comfort the upset girl. “She has your magic to defend herself if there is something truly bad on the other side of the portal.”

Luz remained silent as she focused her gaze back onto the portal, blinking at a bright burst of light as her mentor and pseudo maternal figure stepped out. Once the burst of light was cleared, the faded gray haired teenager walked over to them, pausing to tuck a bright, multi-colored flower behind Luz’s ear with a large grin. “The portal works kiddo,” she said, taking a step back. “You can go back to the Human Realm. It’s warm enough so you don’t have to worry about wearing nothing more than what you are wearing unlike here.” Stepping over to her and drawing her close to her, she wrapped her into a tight hug. “Now you keep yourself safe and listen to your mother. If everything works out correctly, hopefully you will be to return this summer to continue your training.”

“Bye, Eda,” she whispered, voice choking as Lilith also crouched down, wrapping her in a hug. “Bye Lilith, King,” she added quickly, watching misty eyed as Lilith plucked King off of her shoulder and stepped back to stand behind the red line. “I will miss you until I see you again.”

“Now remember to follow the instructions of what our mother says,” Lilith said as the ten-year-old preteen turned to face the blue, pulsing portal. “And keep up with your school work from Hexide. I don’t want you to return in a few months to find that you are behind on your course work.”

“I will do much as I can,” she promised, hesitating as she held her hand out towards the portal. “But I will be attending the human version of Hexide.” Glancing one more at Lilith, Eda, and King, her adopted family, she said, “I love you, guys,” before taking a step into the bright light and disappearing into the world between the Demon and Human Realms. 

***

Luz tried to calm the pounding of her heart as she kept a firm hold onto her adopted family’s pendant, not wanting to show how uncomfortable she felt. Whatever the reason they the police officer had been shocked when seeing her or brought her to the very back in a private room to “talk to her” mustn’t be good. Hazel-brown eyes peeking up beneath her bags, she watched as a woman, dressed in a police uniform, settle in the seat in front of her. “Are you hungry or thirsty, sweetie,” the woman asked in a sickly sweet voice. “I can send one of my partners to get you something from the vending machines or from one of the nearby fast food places.”

While Luz would love to have a chicken strip basket and Hot Fudge Sundae from the nearby Dairy Queen, she knew not to ask. Flashes of the time she faced against Belos’s guards came to her mind, putting herself on edge. “No, thank you,” she said in a soft voice, shifting nervously. “Why am I here? Am I in trouble?”

The woman glanced at her partner as he stepped out. “Is there a reason why you should be in trouble?” she questioned, standing up and going over to the door as she took a basket and sat back down, placing it on her lap. “Is there something that you want to tell me? If you did something naughty, I promise you won’t be in trouble.”

“No.” Luz shook her head. “Last time I came in contact with a police officer, they were mean and hurt Eda,” she explained, tapping her feet nervously. “I don’t want to get shot at again.”

The police officer flinched, appearing visibly shocked at her announcement. “You don’t have to worry about that hear,” promised the woman, placing the box onto the table. “Do you want to color or anything while I ask you some questions? We just got new Spider-Man coloring book and some brand new markers.”  
“I don’t want to color,” she said, keeping her voice soft and low. Crossing her arms and sighing, she glanced longingly out of the window. “Can I go home now?” the ten-year-old questioned sullenly. “I want my Mami.”

“You can see your guardian in a half an hour,” the female police officer promised as she placed the box under the table by her feet. “They have to wait until someone comes to relieve them for their shift, and want to pick you up some fresh clothes before coming here. Now, while we are waiting for them, I am just going to ask a few questions that I want you to answer, darling. If you feel uncomfortable about a question just let me know and we can go to another question.”

She nodded.

“You mentioned someone named Eda.” The police officer pulled out a notepad and pressed a pen against the top. “Can you tell me who she is, darling?”

“Oh, you want me to talk about Mama!” Luz brightened, her nerves easing. “Mama and Tia Lilith took care of me when I lived with them. I was attending school with a scholarship because of them and made good friends.”  
“What school did you attend?” The woman glanced up after she took the notes down. “If you needed a scholarship to attend, it must have been expensive.”

Luz, while still struggling with social cues, could tell she had said too much. “It was very expensive,” she explained, hands settling onto her lap. “I was one of two scholarship students who attended and many of my classmates were better off.” She knew, if the learned what little she told them, there would be no way to track her location down with it being in the Demon Realm and needing a portal to travel both either way. “But I loved attending there and going to my classes. They were easier for me than the school I had used to attend.”

“Do you remember the name of the school?”

Luz blinked before pressing her lips firmly together. “I don’t remember the schools name,” she explained, watching the woman write more notes into the notebook. “Where is my Mami,” the ten-year-old pressed, starting to worry. “It has never taken this long for her to come and get me. She has only ever taken twenty minutes.”

The police officer blinked. “Your Mami hasn’t arrived yet,” she explained gently. “When your guardian arrives here, one of my co-workers will come and notify me. Now, back on topic, can you tell me about your friends? Like their names or if you met their parents, their names too, darling. The more you tell me about your “Mama” and “Tia Lilith” the sooner we can notify them that you have arrived home safe.”

Luz moved her gaze to the table, refusing to meet the police officer. She didn’t want to talk to her anymore. Instead, she wanted to see her Mami and just go back to her house to sleep in her own bed and have a full meal. “Can we be done yet?” the ten-year-old said, pressing her arms against her lower stomach and tightening her grip around her pendant. 

Before the woman could answer, there was a soft knock at the door. Putting away her notebook, she stood up as another officer, the man from before, poked his head in. “Her guardian has arrived,” he said. “And they want to see her.”

“They can come in.” She stood up, placing her notebook into her back pocket. “She has been asking for them the past few minutes and wanting to see them. Let’s leave them be for a bit so she can get used to them again and we can go over the information I found.”

Exiting, a man, in his late seventies entered, coming to a stop at the end of the table. “You must be Luz,” he said, settling down in the chair in front of her. “The photos I have of you don’t do any justice. You look so much like your mother, like my little Camilia.”

“W-Where is my Mami?” She stood up, pushing the chair behind her before she began to approach the door before pausing halfway between the door and table. “Who are you? And why are you here instead of Mami?”

“Luz…baby girl..I don’t know of Camilia has told you who I am but I am Camilia’s father,” the older man explained gently. “That would make me your Abuelo. Your grandfather, Luz. You don’t know how long I have been waiting to meet you.”

Luz backed away, pressing herself into the corner. “Mami said that you were a bad man,” she whispered, eyes widening. “And that it would be bad if I ever met you. What did you do to my Mami?”

“Your mother,” her grandfather began, hands resting on the edge of the table. He spoke in a gravelly voice that seemed to grow heavier as he continued. “Your mother, Camilia, was proven not to be a fit parent. Luz, upon you being found, I was granted full custody of you. From this moment on, unless a judge says otherwise, you will be living with me and your Tia Gabrielle near the school which you will be attending."


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading, I would like to warn that the Spanish was mostly used through Google translate. While I do know some Spanish, it’s very basic and its been several years since I’ve actually attempted to write in Spanish. With me knowing some basic words, I am attempting my best at trying to get Spanish correct from what I know and using my resources. But if you are more fluent in Spanish than me and notice something is wrong. Please correct me in the comments so I can fix it.

Her Mami’s father didn’t stay that long with her before a woman came to visit with her. She introduced herself as Tia Gabrielle before going into how cute she looked and must have been scared when held captive. Reassuring the irked ten-year-old that she was safe, the woman, plump and almost starry-eyed, went into details of how she would be fixed. A pretty pink dress with ruffles at the seam and two pigtails and bows would be the first part. The second, after having her cleared by both a doctor and psychiatrist, she would be enrolled back into the school she attended last fall much to her chagrin.

Sitting there, listening to the woman babble about how she would look like a cute little doll, Luz began to realize just how much freedom and flexibility Lilith and Eda had given her. They weren’t overbearing and demanding her to conform to their preferences when instead they supported her when she talked about letting her hair grow out and slowly wearing clothes that her classmates wore instead of others of her age. Now, with these strangers, her freedom of choice and wants were going to go unheard and forced to conform to what they wanted her to be.

“What if I don’t want to wear a stupid dress or pigtails?” she challenged, voicing her thoughts. “Or get picked on at my old school again? The principal and staff never listened to me and sided with my tormentor, punishing me for not fighting back. That was why Mami was going to transfer me to another school in the district.”

“You won’t have to worry about that anymore Luzella.” Gabrielle Garcia shook her hand with a dismissive wave without looking up from her cellphone. She was currently scrolling through Facebook, only giving her long-lost niece a small part of her attention. “Papa has already started contacting some of his old contacts from back when he was president and some of them are attending the same school as you. So, you do not have to worry about anyone bullying or tormenting you anymore. And if that happens, just tell Papa or me and we can deal with it. You have nothing to worry about while attending school.”

Eyes widening and gasping, Luz felt sick to her stomach. What her “Tia” Gabrielle had said sounded just like what Amity had experienced with her parents, Alador and Odalia Blight, before meeting Luz and befriending her, Gus, and Willow. “I-I want to make friends on my own,” she stammered, panic ringing in her voice. “Just making friends with grandchildren of his connections.”

“That will be enough Luzella!” came the stern and gruff voice of her mother’s father as he entered the back room. “You will not protest when your aunt and I make decisions that will benefit you in the future. Making connections at a young age and focusing all your time on school and sports, you will possibly have enough potential to one day take over my business when your uncle, Edwardo, decides to step down and take time away from the bustle of the cities.”

Clenching tightly onto the pendant in her pocket and biting the inside of her cheek so she didn’t act rash, the ten-year-old gave a mute nod, following the prodding of both of the adults in the room out into the lobby of the police station. Only after checking over her briefly and having her grandfather signing some paperwork, the preteen was able to get her bags and follow her “Tia” to the car.

Begrudgingly storing her luggage into the very back, she got into the backseat and clipped her seatbelt into place. As the car pulled away from the police station, Luz wasn’t looking forward to the unknown amount of time with her new guardians, or was she prepared for what the future she was about to head towards.

***

Standing in front of the home that her grandfather and aunt said they lived in, she had to think that it made the Blight Manor seem warm and friendly. Behind them, just closing, a large steel gate blocked her from escaping and reminded her of the Conformatorium when Eda and her invaded to attempt to get King’s crown. Only this time she was on her own and had no magic to defend herself if things went dire. Moving her gaze back from behind her to the front where the large, foreboding walls of the mansion stood. Already, stomach-churning in realization, Luz knew that everything was different. Even when visiting Eda’s and Lilith’s parents, their home, while a huge mansion, was warm and inviting even though they were a bit stricter than her own maternal figures. With this, she fought back tears, not wanting to anger her grandfather more than she has done already.

“With our family having such a large amount of money, Papa and Edwardo bought this mansion together to be in the same town as you were raised in,” Gabrielle explained as she emerged from the car, eyes still partly on her phone. “While Edwardo is in New Mexico to man the business for a few more weeks, Papa and I will be here to raise you before Edwardo, his wife, and three kids join us. The eldest, a few years older than you, will be attending the same school as you.”

“She will be looking out for you when she starts attending,” her grandfather explained, approaching them as he carried her bags from the back of the car. “Now, let’s get into the house and start having you settle in before we settle down for the evening meal, Luzella.” Turning around to head his daughter and granddaughter towards the house, he stops in his tracks. “What are you doing, Camilia? I did not give you permission to enter my property.”

Peering from behind her grandfather, Luz smiled before rushing forward. “Mami!” Throwing her arms around her mother’s waist and almost drove the breath from her lungs. “I missed you so much, Mami!” Burying her face into her mother’s nurse uniform and clutching onto her scrubs the ten-year-old let out a heart-wrenching sob, causing her mother to crouch down and rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“Shhh, sweetie,” she whispered, rubbing her back and gently ruffing her long hair. “Mami has you. I have you, Luz.”

“I want to go home with you,” she simpered, big, fat tears falling down her cheeks. “Please, can’t I go with you instead of staying here?”  
“I know you want to sweetheart but until I can get visitations, you will have to hold your head up and smile your little sunshine,” Camila said tenderly, cradling her face with a glow of love on her face. “Just be patient and wait until the social worker visits you to see who you want to live with.”

“Okay, Mami,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as Camilia pressed a kiss into her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” she said, standing up. “The social worker has given me permission to call you tonight if you are feeling up to it.”

“I will, Mami,” she promised, watching mournfully as a security guard escorted her mother out and behind the closing gates. "Bye, Mama."  
Turning back to his granddaughter and placing his free hand on her shoulder, Abel Noceda led her into the mansion, leading to where she would be staying. “This is your bedroom,” he said, opening the door and depositing her bags in the corner. “Take a shower and change into some suitable clothes in the next hour so you can join us downstairs for the evening meal.”

Giving a mute nod, Luz was left alone as she went over where she assumed extra pairs of clothes were stored. Pulling open a door, she frowned at the sight of a blood beet red dress that had ruffles going down to what she assumed would be her knees. Sighing, she threw onto the bed and stalked over to the bathroom, wanting to get it done quickly before the hour was up.

The shower felt heavenly after the past five months of taking cold baths in the darkness after being told by Eda not to light a fire in the fireplace by herself. With the Human Realm having modern energy and an abundance of water, she lingered in a minute or two longer than she would if she was back at The Owl House. Emerging from the steaming showers and wrapping the towel tightly around her thin frame, Luz approached the mirror, using her free hand to wring out her wet hair and using a spare ponytail to put up a lopsided ponytail. Happy with her results, she emerged from the warm bathroom and approached where she laid out her outfit.

Changing into the blood beet red dress and putting her necklace on, she settled on the bed, seeing she had forty-five minutes until her grandfather or her aunt came to retrieve her for supper. Tapping her fingers on her knees, she went over to her school bag, pulling out her few textbooks she took from Hexide. Thinking of reading them to pass the time, she opened the book and began to skim over the text.

She barely had gotten through the first passage on the care of Griffins and they're young when there was a knock at her door. Marking her spot and hiding her textbooks from Hexide under her bed, she approached the door. “Yes?” she asked, head popping out from the other side of the door. Raising her gaze, she saw a woman, dressed in a black and white maid outfit standing in front of her door. “Can I help you with something?”

“It is time to eat, Ms. Noceda,” the maid said, giving her a kind smile as she took a step back. “Mr. Noceda has asked me to escort you to the dining room for the evening meal. Do you need a few more minutes or would you be ready to head there now, Ma’am?”

“Just give me a second,” she said to the woman. Reentering back into her bedroom, she carried the bag of her personal items to her bed. Making sure it was hidden from sight, she tucked the blanket back down before exiting the bedroom. Closing the door, she followed the woman to the dining room. Thanking the woman and settling in one of the three chairs, she rubbed the metal pendant between her fingers, trying to calm the roar of the blood in her eardrums and the thumping of her heart.

She barely had begun to calm down when her grandfather and aunt settled at the table. Abel took the rear of the table as her aunt settled on the other side, facing Luz. They were all dressed in higher-end clothes and Gabrielle wore makeup that made her several years older than she appeared.

“You clean up very nice, Luz,” Gabrielle said, glancing at where the ten-year-old squirmed in her seat, keeping her hands on her lap and gaze on the table. “Who such a pretty little girl was under all that disgusting mess or my little sister could actually hide something as beautiful as you from Father and me for so long.”

“Let’s not speak of that woman for the moment,” Abel said, nodding in approval at the appearance of his granddaughter. “Luz?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied timidly.

“After dinner, we will be going through your things,” Mami’s father expressed, meeting her timid gaze. “I will not let my daughter soil the Noceda name by wearing or owning anything that is deemed inferior or gaudy.”

Swallowing back a plea of desperation, she gave a mute nod. Already, after the short while she’s been with them, there was no room for argument or protest unless it was assumed, she wanted to go to bed without supper.

“I hope you like the meal,” he added as the first course, a vegetable broth with small pieces of mystery meat and a side of chickpeas, was placed in front of them. “While with me, you will be eating junk food or any food of the impoverished.”

“The meal looks good,” Luz replied, lifting up a spoonful to take her first bite. Swallowing, she fought back a grimace as it settled like a stone in her stomach. “It’s been a while since I have had any kind of food that is rich with flavor as this is.”

“This will be commonly what we eat,” Gabrielle interjected in. “You will get used to eating larger portions and three times a day instead of what little you must have eaten with those people who held you captive for the past five months.”

“Mama and Tia did the best they could,” she mumbled under her breath, hand wrapping around her pendant as she glared coldly at the food. “My stomach hurts,” she announced with a forced pain grimace. “May I be excused?”

“No, you may not,” Abel Noceda snapped at his granddaughter. “You will finish what we have given you and eat the seconds that you will be receiving.”  
“A child should never speak unless spoken to,” her aunt yelled as she took a sip of her cherry-red wine. “Be lucky that you are only getting reprimanded instead of being spanked for back talking and rising your voice, Luz.”

Flinching and fighting the urge to curl up in herself, the ten-year-old moved her gaze back to her owl. Scooping up another spoonful, she forced herself to swallow it before taking a tip of the unidentifiable brown liquid in her glass. Gagging on its putrid taste, Luz let out a rough cough before seeing her grandfather, Abel Noceda, was looking at her with disapproval.

“So, Luz, you seem like you aren’t easy to fool, how those, captors, seemed to convince you that they were your family?” asked Gabrielle as she finished her last bit of soup.

“W-well..” Luz blushed as she paused to take a breath to push back the vulnerability she felt around her two new guardians. “Mama was the first one to take me in and protected me when I got in over my head. She owns her own businesses and lives with a roommate.” It was hard for Luz to remember to translate things from the Demon Realm into what would be accurate in the Human Realm. ‘Than Tia Lilith is a Vice-President of a very large company. But after the president threatened to “deport me”, she used less time at work and more on watching over and helping Mama take care of me.”

Abel looked seconds away from dismissing her. “Entonces, dos extranos se convitrtieron en tu familia?” he asked scornfully. “No son mas que traficantes."

Hearing the scorn of people who she held so highly and them being reviewed as someone as bad as Human Traffickers made Luz sick and distracted, causing her to drop her spoon with a clatter. Hazel-brown eyes almost widening in anger and darkening, she waited for some rebuttal from Gabrielle but had nothing but the air of challenge wringing around Luz and her grandfather.

“They are not like that,” Luz replied hotly, retrieving her spoon from where it landed. “I am alive still because of Mama and Tia Lilith. They have earned their spot as part of my family.”

“You will see the power of real family bonds,” Abel said. “Family Bonds are stronger with people’s real family. So, please remember not to hold that trafficker’s in the same regard as your mother, aunt, and I from now on.”

Remembering the many times that Amity had shown up to school with crudely hidden bruises, Luz nodded and looked back down at her bowl. In her lapse of attention, her bowl had been replaced for a bigger and fuller own, almost immediately making her stomach ache. Forcing the first bite down, she fell silent and kept one hand on her lap, clutching onto the Clawthorne pendant.

The meal, lasting another hour or two, began to draw to a close when one of her grandfather’s workers appeared and took her uneaten dessert, chocolate brownie with whipped cream and M&M’s, from her dinner tray. It was the ache of her stomach and sickly feeling settling on her that she held no energy to please her new guardians to attempt to even touch something that would be gone within minutes. Forcing herself to keep her gaze low, she felt the boiling gaze of her grandfather land on her, making her squirm and tremble. “I’m sorry for not eating my meal fully, grandfather,” she whispered, not daring to meet his gaze. “But I was given too much to eat.”

“I am full, Papa, and have some work to finish for my courses,” Gabrielle announced as she stood up. “If you need help with going with Luz’s things just send a servant to find me.” Passing by where her niece, she gently patted her shoulder and disappeared into the back maze of hallways.

“You will have fifteen minutes to go to your room and place your bags onto your bed,” her grandfather said, standing up and pushing his chair in. “When that fifteen-minute is up, I will be there with several trash bags to go through your items and declutter your foul items that are deemed unworthy of being in the same house like ours.”

“Yes, sir.” Standing up and pushing her chair in, the ten-year-old turned around and picked a random direction to go in, hoping to find one of her father’s workers to take her to her bedroom. Glancing once more at the table, she left the dining room and went to look for her bedroom.

***

Going through her items and watching her prized possessions getting tossed into three large garbage breaks were hard, it wasn’t until the last few items that Luz’s resolve began to crumble. It was the sight of the set of four books Eda had given her during the start of her stay that pushed her over the edge. Her grandfather, perceiving it gibberish, was about to throw it away when she grabbed them from his hands, saying they were in another language.

Giving her a harsh warning look, the elderly man pulled out the last two items in her duffel bag. One is King’s stuffed rabbit and the other being Amity’s Leatherman jacket. “G-grandfather,” she began, stomach-dropping as he muttered, “A girl’s, not my granddaughter,” before preparing to throw both into the third and last bag.

“No!” Dropping the set of books onto her bed, Luz lunged forward and seized the two items, bringing them close to her while her male guardian refused to release the hold on the jacket. “I won’t let you throw these away! Good friends gave me these, Grandfather! These items are the only ones I have left of them!”

“You can keep that blasted rabbit but will not be permitted to keep this jacket,” he growled, yanking it out of her hand and sending her tumbling to the floor. “It is shameful for you to even own something that could be seen as a token of love from another girl.” With a look of disgust and malice, he shoved the jacket into the garbage bag. Hauling the three bags out into the hallway, he turned to his granddaughter. “Until you can learn how to properly behave, you can live in your room,” he added, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him.

Letting out a howl that almost sounded like a Slitherbeast, Luz threw herself at the door, her hands pounding on it. “Grandfather! Grandfather!” Tears welled in the corner of her eyes and slid down until she had no strength to continue pleading. “Please, Grandfather let me out. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

***

Later, after a few hours had passed, Luz managed to drag herself from the floor and curl up tightly on her bed. Holding King’s stuffed bear and Eda’s four books close, she buried her head into the silk pillow before sobbing. While she and Amity were still at times distant, the Leatherman jacket had been the very first, almost brand new, gift she had received while on the Isles, and came from a good friend too. It hurt her so much to think it was gone.

Once she felt like she could no longer cry, the ten-year-old slid off of her bed and began to change from the useless and wrinkled dress to the pair of pajamas her grandfather had set out. Once fully dressed, she glanced at her phone, still partly charged, where it sat on her dresser. During his haste to leave, Abel had forgotten to confiscate her charger and cell phone, leaving her with one thing, her ability to always have one form of privacy.

Grabbing her cellphone and burrowing under the heavy comforter, she powered the phone up, being greeted by her lock screen image of her small family of three. The picture had taken a few days after Lilith became more prominent in her life and they attempted to make one of the more expensive baking recipes in celebration of Luz gaining the Clawthorne family crest.

Staring at the screen and blinking her eyes, it wasn’t hard to think of how this almost exact scenario had played out a few months prior. Only this time, instead of being trapped from her Mami alone, she wasn’t able to see her Mama or Tia anymore too. It hurt worse than never seeing her adopted family members ever again. It almost drove her to tears. Fingers moving to the camera button, she hit record, and in a broken voice began to talk.

“Hey Mama, Tia, I know I won’t be able to send this to you but I thought it might help. There isn’t much time for me to talk as my new guardian, my Mami’s father has been granted custody of me. But I don’t think I will be seeing you in a while guys. Probably not until I am eighteen, that is if I can survive with him that long.”

Luz blinked her eyes who were starting to mist. Sniffling, she turned her gaze back to her phone, throat clenching tightly as she tried to continue.

“My grandfather is like Amity’s parents but worse. H-he took everything that I had from you guys. I had to throw big enough fit to keep Mama’s books and King’s toy. Tell Amity, Willow, and Gus that I’m sorry for not fighting hard enough to keep the things they gave me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry...” Sitting up and bring the phone close to her, she added, “It feels so strange for so much to change and not having you here to share it with. I-I don’t know w-when or how when I am going to see you again b-but if everything turns out alright, I will try to find my way home to you. I promise.” Taking a moment to compose herself, she added in a whisper, “Con Plumas y gemas acudeomos a madre, Mama, Tia.”

With one more longing look, she ended the recording and powered down her phone, hiding it and its charger in between her mattress and box spring. Giving one last heavy sigh, Luz crawled into her bed, curling up beneath the covers, clutching the five items saved in her grandfather’s path close to her heart, hoping and praying that tomorrow would be a better day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next few chapters, while it may be slower paced, I want to start to set up the love-hate relationship between Luz, her new guardians, and what everyone expects of her. With that, it will be a few more chapters before A) Luz starts up at her old school again and B) Lilith and Eda begin to wonder why they hadn’t heard anything from their daughter/niece yet when it’s been a month and some days since she left to return to her Mami.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. While it’s on the shorter side, it contained some important scenes that will be integral for later chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading and constructive criticism is welcomed.
> 
> -Dreamelilly018


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